2021 Hightower Harsh Rear Suspention

PB Forum :: Santa Cruz
2021 Hightower Harsh Rear Suspention
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flag kevinw90
Posted: May 23, 2021 at 0:39 Quote
Helloo,

Picked up my new 2021 hightower v2 just over 1 month ago and love it. My one and only complaint is the no matter what i do to the rear suspension settings it always seems harsh over quick small to medium hits. Ive been blaming the super deulux ultimate rear shock only because its the first time using one however for such a high end and widely used shock it might be unfair to blame it for everything.

I thought about swapping out to a dpx 2 however with the announcement the new float x ill just hold off for now. Plus this will be nearly £700

Im now thinking in changing to the cascade link which is less than half the price and ive seen a couple of good reviews about it. Anyone on here got any experience on the 2021 frame with the longer shock stroke? Heard it pushes the travel to 160 so ill likely up the fork travel from 150 to 160 too.

Any thoughts or thoughts on the link would be great. Ive got a large frame so dont think i should have any tyre buzz issues.

Thanks
flag dobmaster
O+
Posted: Jun 1, 2021 at 4:10 Quote
Did you ad or remove some volume reducers?
Or maybe add the MegNeg? a friend of mine that is very picky about suspension setup was VERY impressed with the MegNeg.
flag lurch303
O+
Posted: Jun 8, 2021 at 15:20 Quote
Have you given the high and low flip-chip settings a try? It feels plusher on small bumps in low.
flag zhongze12345
Posted: Jun 8, 2021 at 15:31 Quote
Mine hasn't felt harsh (I have the Super Deluxe Select +), though I wouldn't describe it as incredibly plush.
The Hightower is meant to be supportive and not super plush, so no matter what, you can't get a super plush feeling from the shock.
Playing around with the shock settings, specifically volume reducers and the flip clip, might solve the problem. Rebound is also a potential problem as the low speed rebound ONLY controls the small to medium sized hits which is what you have problems with. Trust me, rebound makes a huge difference in how harsh the suspension feels. Only if there were twice the adjustments since I'm in the middle of two.

And about the Cascade Link, people who have used it have said that it feels much more plush, but obviously increasing the travel any amount will make it feel plusher. The Large frame should comfortably fit more travel without having tire buzz.

And for MegNeg, although it makes the beginning stroke more supportive, it gives a ramp in the midstroke which can make medium sized bumps feel harsh.

Also, if you don't mind, what is your weight? Since a lot of these recommendations are influenced by weight (and riding style).

As long as you aren't overdoing shock setup by trying to make it plush, you should be fine. Playing to the strengths of the bike (good handling and supportive) with suspension tuning will make the ride much better.
flag sernevi
O+
Posted: Jun 8, 2021 at 20:55 Quote
Out of curiosity, what is your point of reference that you're comparing with? What are your shock settings like?
I just came off a 2020 Orbea Occam with a dpx2, and the hightower just feels better at everything. More plush without blowing through its travel as much, and more supportive in general. I actually did a 2 hour ride yesterday just after reading your post and the only thing I feel the suspension gets harsh on is really square edges, like not picking up the back wheel over a high curb.

For reference I'm running the super deluxe pretty close to what santa cruz recommends, within a few clicks. Probably 30% sag, definitely more than I expected or am used to for a trail bike but I don't bottom out harshly or feel that it's too soft to pedal. Up front I run a factory 36 with luftkappe, which I find pairs really well with the rear end.
flag stuker
Posted: Jul 1, 2021 at 22:53 Quote
kevinw90 wrote:
Helloo,

Picked up my new 2021 hightower v2 just over 1 month ago and love it. My one and only complaint is the no matter what i do to the rear suspension settings it always seems harsh over quick small to medium hits. Ive been blaming the super deulux ultimate rear shock only because its the first time using one however for such a high end and widely used shock it might be unfair to blame it for everything.

I thought about swapping out to a dpx 2 however with the announcement the new float x ill just hold off for now. Plus this will be nearly £700

Im now thinking in changing to the cascade link which is less than half the price and ive seen a couple of good reviews about it. Anyone on here got any experience on the 2021 frame with the longer shock stroke? Heard it pushes the travel to 160 so ill likely up the fork travel from 150 to 160 too.

Any thoughts or thoughts on the link would be great. Ive got a large frame so dont think i should have any tyre buzz issues.

Thanks

i have the same issue as you. harsh over small successive bumps and bigger hits. The problem for me was the Rock Shox Super Delux Ultimate. I have proved this by swapping it with a FOX DPX2 and the harshness has gone. I found a video on YT about a person who had the exact same issue with this RSshock and its possibly related to the HSC loop that he got replaced under warranty. i am sending my shock back to RS this week to get it looked at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpIucoUyua8&t=58s
flag ccmski
Posted: Aug 6, 2021 at 9:36 Quote
dobmaster wrote:
Did you ad or remove some volume reducers?
Or maybe add the MegNeg? a friend of mine that is very picky about suspension setup was VERY impressed with the MegNeg.

100% thumbs up for the MegNeg. May take a little tinkering to get the band/token ratio setup for your style of riding and personal taste, but it’s a game changer, plus doesn’t cost nearly as much as the other alternatives!
flag W64bitXW
Posted: Aug 18, 2021 at 5:53 Quote
Hi mate!

I have just received my brand new HT frame and put 170mm fork with 27.5x2.8 wheels and it works way more better than GT Sanction suspension with Float X2, more sensitive on the same trails. But yesterday I have noticed cranky noise somewhere from the suspension I'll try to put grease every where in the link, I hope I do not have RS issue.
BTW I guess with MegNeg it should be more sensitive will try
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